One of the biggest responsibilities a homeowner has is taking care of the property. From the roof to the foundation there are various tasks that must be performed to maintain a home. While some are quite obvious, others, are often overlooked. The problem with that is that eventually, this leads to health and safety issues for you and your family, not to mention the higher costs to make excessive repairs. Homeowners can avoid this altogether by remembering to include the following tasks to their household maintenance checklist.
Replacing HVAC Filters
Your heating and cooling systems are an integral part of keeping your house at a comfortable temperature throughout the year. In order to keep them working efficiently, it is imperative that homeowners keep up with routine maintenance. One of those tasks includes changing the air filters. They filter dust and debris ensuring it doesn’t get blown around and impair air quality. After some time, however, the filter becomes clogged. Failure to change them restricts the airflow to your HVAC system forcing working parts like the motor to work harder to maintain the appropriate temperature. This not only increases your energy bill but worsens indoor air quality and increases the likelihood of the system breaking down altogether.
At least once a month, check your HVAC filters to see if they need to be changed. This is an easy home maintenance task you can do on your own and very affordably.
Replacing Insulation
Insulation which can be found in the walls, floors, ceilings, and other structures of the home is essential to keeping the place comfortable throughout the year as it helps to prevent air loss (and keep cold or hot air from entering the property). Over time, like most things in the home, the insulation wears and loses its efficiency. Failure to replace it results in higher energy bills as your HVAC system has to work harder to regulate the room temperatures.
While insulation can last for several years, at some point, it will need to be replaced, and/or reinforced. There are a number of reasons this could occur including water damage, damage from a pest infestation, the development of mold, or deterioration of materials. In any event, itis recommended that you have your insulation inspected every 1-2 years to see if you need to hire a professional for insulation installation.
Flushing Your Hot Water Heater
The hot water heater is responsible for providing the entire household with hot water to use for cooking, bathing, etc. Though these appliances are designed to be very efficient, they too need to be maintained. One home maintenance task that must be completed is flushing the hot water heater. The reason for this is because sediment and minerals settle in the bottom of the tank causing the appliance to lose efficiency over time. If not flushed, the sediment and minerals can also cause corrosion which results in hot water heater leaks.
You can flush your hot water heater on your own. All you have to do is turn off the hot water and gas, attach a hose to the drain cock on the tank and lead the other end of the hose outside. Then, turn on the drain and allow the water to drain from it. Once you’re done, close the drain cock, restore the hot water to your home. This should be done at least once a year to be safe.
Cleaning the Gutters
The gutters are an integral part of the roofing system of your home. Their responsibility is to catch rainwaters as it falls and direct it away from the home to prevent roof leaks, roofing damage, or foundation issues. Naturally, however, things find their way into the gutters including leaves, branches, and other debris. If you don’t remove these things the gutters become clogged and are less effective at doing their job.
Cleaning the gutters should be a seasonal home maintenance task. You can do this yourself with a ladder, but for safety reasons, it may be best to hire a professional to clean them for you.
There are a lot of things in and around the home that needs to be maintained in order to keep it a safe and healthy place for you and your family to live. Though the list of things to be done can seem long and costly, when you consider the fact that not doing them could cost you more – it’s worth the investment. If you haven’t already, add these home maintenance tasks to your checklist and complete them yourself or hire a professional as required.